A TEACHER involved in an horrific Christmas Eve crash, which killed his father and two pensioners, let his car drift into the path of oncoming traffic.

Ian McKay's Volvo smashed head-on into another car, leaving a scene of devastation on the A41 in Waverton, an inquest heard.

His 90-year-old father, George, died when the vehicle collided with a Vauxhall Astra, killing its passengers, Alice Isaacs and Arnold Turner, both 84.

This week, Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg heard that Mr McKay, who faces a charge of causing death by driving without due care and attention, told a firefighter at the crash scene that he had lost control of his car.

Chester firefighter Andrew Spencer told the court: 'He said that the car had swerved to the right and there was nothing he could do.

'He said he had just spent more than &#xA3;400 getting his car serviced. It seemed like a significant statement, so I relayed it to the police.'

But days later, while Mr McKay, of West Kirby, was still being treated at the Countess of Chester Hospital, he told PC Joseph Fitzgerald a different story.

PC Fitzgerald, of the Chester and Ellesmere Port Traffic Unit, said: 'Mr McKay was on ward 44 with his family. He said he remembered driving along the A41 and his father, who had a tendency to doze off on journeys, had fallen asleep.

'He said his father fell across his lap, preventing him from turning the steering wheel.'

'It's all mixed up - there are gaps,' he said. 'Everything's very confusing. It was not until the following week when I started to gather my senses.

'I am certain I would not have said that. I can't remember what I said to everyone, I was confused.'

At the hearing on Tuesday, he was advised by his solicitor not to answer any questions if his answers could incriminate him.

But he told the court that he had picked up his father, a retired sea captain, from his home in Worcestershire earlier that day. After stopping for fish and chips, the pair joined the A41.

Mr McKay said that his father fell asleep at Broxton roundabout and the last thing he can remember is going over the bridge in Waverton.

At about 2.30pm, Nicholas Turner was taking his father Arnold, 85, of Doe's Meadow Road, Brom-borough, and Mrs Isaacs, 85, of Mount Road, Birkenhead, to visit relatives in Ross-on-Wye when he saw the Volvo swerve into his path.

'I started braking but it was too close,' said Mr Turner, of Eastham. 'I tried to move over as far as I could, but then there was a big bang.'

He said: 'I saw his car veer to the right. At first I thought he was avoiding something in our path, but the car kept on going.'

Justin Isles, an account director, was driving to his home on Tarvin Road, Littleton, when he saw the Volvo drift into the opposite lane.

'It was like the car didn't take the bend but kept going straight,' he said.

Chester Fire Service, Cheshire Constabulary and paramedics were on the scene in moments. But Mrs Isaacs and Mr McKay senior had suffered fatal injuries, while Mr Turner senior died as a result of a ruptured aorta.